Bobby Flay's Apple Recipes
Red Delicious. The Empire. Ida Red. McIntosh. Mutsus. Crispins.
Those names are familiar to apple aficionados, among whom Early Show Contributor Bobby Flay certainly counts himself.
"As a chef," he says, "I'm always looking for really great apples to cook with."
The Ida Red, for instance, is a tart apple that holds up well when it is cooked, and Crispins are great cooking apples, too, because they are so dense.
But Flay's personal favorite are the Empires. "It's crisp, juicy, it's sour - it's like tart and sweet at the same time," he enthuses.
Here are some of Flay's favorite apple recipes:
SPICY APPLE CHUTNEY
WITH PAN ROASTED PORK TENDERLOIN
(Serves 4)
Spicy Apple Chutney
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup coarsely chopped red onion
1 small jalapeno, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped orange zest
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
4 medium Empire or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, halved, and thinly sliced
1 medium orange, peeled and cut into segments
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. In a large saucepan over medium-heat, melt the butter and saute the onion and jalapeno until the onion is translucent. Add the ginger, orange zest, orange juice, vinegar, brown sugar and honey and cook until the sauce is reduced by half and has a glazed appearance.
2. Reduce the heat to low, add two-thirds of the apple slices and cook until the fruit is just tender. Turn off the heat and gently fold in the remaining apples and orange segments.
3. Pour the chutney into a bowl and allow to cool. Mix in the cilantro, red bell pepper and salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature.
Pork Tenderloin
2 tablespoons olive oil
One 2-pound pork tenderloin
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat olive oil in a medium saute pan over high heat.
2. Season the pork with the ancho powder, salt and coarsely ground black pepper. Sear well on all sides until golden brown.
3. Place pan in the oven and continue cooking for 8-10 minutes until the pork is just cooked through. Remove and let rest 10 minutes before slicing on bias. Spoon Spicy Apple Chutney onto platter, top with pork slices.
(Ancho Chile Powder available by mail order from The Kitchen Market, 888-468-4433)
BAKED APPLES
Baked Apples Stuffed with Pecans
(Serves 4)
4 Gala apples
4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter, divided
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup apple cider
1. Prehat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a small glass baking dish with 2 tablespoons of the softened butter.
2. Slice the bottoms off the apples and core them.
3. Combine the brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, pecans and lemon zest in a small bowl and fill the center of the apples with the mixture. Dot each apple with the remaining butter.
4.Place the apples in the dish and pour the cider in the bottom of the dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes, basting with the baking liquid or until soft. Serve with freshly whipped cream if desired.
Hazelnut Apple Crisp
(Serves 6)
Apples: 5 Empire apples or if not available, Granny Smith
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Toss apples together with the sugar in a medium bowl, then scrape into a 9 inch baking dish.
2. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
Topping
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 cup finely chopped hazelnuts
1. Combine the flour, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a bowl. Add the butter, and using your fingertips, work the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles sand.
2. Add in the hazelnuts and sprinkle the topping over the entire surface of the apples.
Glazed Apple-Raisin Muffins
(Yields 12)
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
2/3 cup milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 MacIntosh apples, peeled, cored and finely diced
1/2 cup golden raisins
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 12 muffin tins with vegetable spray and set aside.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Whisk together the eggs, milk, butter, vanilla and brown sugar in a large bowl, fold in the flour, then the apples and raisins. Do not overmix the batter. It should be lumpy. Divide the batter among the cups.
3. Bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes, or just until a cake tester comes out clean. Let rest 10 minutes and remove from the muffin pans. Drizzle with the glaze.
Glaze
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons apple juice
Mix together until smooth.